“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Romans 10:17, NIV
Have you ever wondered how players in a baseball, hockey, or football game could hear the commands of their coach above the noise of the crowd? I think they would know from training what they are to do in any given situation. I also think they would have to train themselves to block out the “advice” of the crowd. If the players listened to the crowd instead of what their coach said, they could make a wrong move. We need to listen to our Head Coach, not the world.
Source. When you look for a product or service and ask for referrals, you would consider the source. If it came from a company or person who had a bad reputation, you probably wouldn’t pursue the object of that referral. When we hear a voice, it is just as important to make sure that the voice is God’s and not of the world. So how do we know whose voice we are hearing?
Trace it. I used to have a ton of tangled cords behind my desk and it was hard to tell which one went to which device. The only way to figure out which plug was to the printer was to trace it back from the device to the outlet. We can do the same with voices we hear. Look for the person who said it, the context, the sincerity, and the background.
Who said it? Whether it was written, online, or someone actually spoke it, identify who said it. Is it someone you know and trust? Are they trustworthy? Are they tuned in to God? Where did they get their information or knowledge? I am very careful when I go to the internet and search a question or explanation, especially when it is in relation to the Word of God. Here’s a couple things I look at:
- The website itself—the title, who it belongs to, what kind of content is included on that website
- Who promotes the website and the author—Is it someone who is or could be a false teacher?
- Are they using the Word of God or some other source of information? Are they quoting sources that are not true to the Bible? Or worse yet, taking it out of context.
How and where did you hear it? Faith comes from hearing. Hearing what? The message. Message of what? The Word of God. It doesn’t say faith comes from hearing and stop there. What you are hearing is just as important as the fact that you are hearing it. Analyze what you are hearing.
Ways of hearing. You might think, only ears hear, so how can there be different ways of hearing? If you are deaf, you “hear” through your eyes and other senses. I took a little American Sign Language so I could communicate with those who are deaf. (Unfortunately it was a long time ago and I’ve forgotten most of it.) Hearing is a way of communication that travels from voice to ear. When the ear doesn’t work, signing is an alternative way of communicating that goes from hands to eyes. Braille is also a hands to eyes alternative communication.
Aside from hearing with an ear, our eyes are a good way of “hearing” as we read and hear (see) what someone is saying on paper or electronic devices. Communication in that way is from eyes to brain and ultimately to the heart.
Our approach. How do you come to God? Do you come barging in, banging on His door for an answer now? Do you come quietly and humbly, thanking Him for His work in your life? Billy Graham once said, “One can approach the Bible with a cold, rationalistic attitude, or one can do so with reverence and the desire to hear God speak.” If we really want to hear God’s voice, we need to prepare ourselves for coming into His presence.
Recognition. How do children recognize their parents’ voices? They’ve heard mom and dad speak to them since the day they were born and even while they were in the womb. So when they hear their voices, they respond because they know and recognize their voices. We learn to recognize God’s voice by studying His Word, memorizing it, and hiding it in our hearts. Then when a voice tries to speak to us that isn’t His, a little warning bell goes off in our mind and heart that says, wait a minute, that doesn’t sound right because it doesn’t match what we know of God’s Word and His heart. But it will only warn us as far as our knowledge of God’s Word extends. If we don’t have much of His Word in us, then He can’t use it to warn us. That’s why it’s so important to hide His Word in our heart and mind.
I hear you! This is an expression we often use when we are listening to someone give their opinion or experience. We agree or empathize with them and say I hear you! to let them know that we are listening. I hope you can say I hear you! to God today.
In the next post we’ll talk about answering the door in response to hearing God’s voice.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, help me to hear Your voice through the Bible, sermons, music, and other avenues You choose to speak through. I don’t want to miss what You are saying and I don’t want to mistake someone else’s voice for Yours.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
- Easter – resurrection and salvation